How to change from E-7 to F-2-7 with spouse

Question 

Hi, I am interested in getting a F-2-7 visa for myself and my spouse. I am currently on a E-7 visa with a major corporation (**** /  ******), and my wife is on a F-3 spouse visa. We have these visas for 3 years (until 2025).

I actually emailed before about getting E-7 working permission (for software engineering) for my wife while she is on F-3, but realized that that will not work for the contract work she is interested in.

I believe the F-2-7 visa will allow my wife the freedom to do the work she would like, while not affecting my current employment. I have looked at your points guide and should definitely have enough points with age + education + income.

My questions are
Do you think there will be any issues with my current work authorization at ******* if I switch to F-2-7?
What are the work restrictions on a F-2-7 visa? For my spouse, what would she be able to do? She wants to do software engineering (it is her major), but also curious if that means she can do other kinds of work, or work for any Korean or overseas company.
When is the earliest I can switch to F-2-7? I moved to Korea in Jan 2022. I heard from immigration that the only way I can prove my income is with the tax return in May 2023. Is this true? Is there any way we could prove our income earlier (such as in Jan 2023?) We would like to get the F-2-7 visas as soon as possible.
Can my wife receive the F-2-7 visa at the same time as me?
What is the max duration we could get the visa for? My understanding is there are 1, 3, and 5 year visas. I would like to know how to get the longest ones, especially since our current visas are good for 3 years.
Are there any F-5 visa types that we can consider as well? Basically, I am looking for whatever visa types we can get with our current status that will give us the most flexible working allowance for the longest duration.

Please let me know if a consulting session is required for the above questions. If a F-2-7 (or F-5) visa looks like a good option for my wife and I, we would be interested in full-service support to receive those (from article /f-2-7-visa-service/ ).
Thank you,
E***

Answer 

Hi.

thank you for the mail
First of all, the basic answer may vary depending on individual circumstances.

1. The effect on your current employment depends on the individual case.

However, employers may be sensitive to visa changes,

so the company needs sufficient explanation and help.

2. There are restricted employment sectors (for example, working in a restricted sector within the 3 years before the application can lead to refusal).

A spouse of an F-2-7 holder can work after obtaining F-2-71 only if the main holder meets the annual income requirement, and only in the employment activities permitted by the Enforcement Decree; otherwise the spouse stays in F-1 status, in which employment is prohibited.

However, it is necessary to review the major, experience, and industry relevance by an Visa expert. 

2-1. Whether a specific job or arrangement is permitted should be confirmed with the competent immigration office.

3. An E-7 holder (E-1 to E-7-1; E-7-2 to E-7-4 are excluded) generally needs 3 or more years of continuous lawful stay in those statuses (waived if the annual income is KRW 40 million or more). 

For the points, the annual income is taken from the most recent income certificate issued by the tax office that can be submitted. 

4. The spouse is treated as an accompanying family member of the F-2-7 holder (a lawful spouse in a genuine marriage), and the application follows the main holder's F-2-7 status. 

5. The period is decided by immigration.

F-2 can be granted for up to 5 years per grant, and for F-2-7 extensions the period is set by the combined score or income score (5, 3, 2 or 1 year).

The actual period granted depends on the case. 

6. The income requirement for F-5 depends on the PR type (for example, general PR F-5-1 requires at least twice the previous year's per-capita GNI, while F-5-10 requires at least 1x), so it should be checked per type.
After obtaining F2 visa,

I recommended that you receive separate consulting after verifying the period of stay and income.

If you need more visa counsel for this, please write down the question list with applicant’s qualification information.

* Applicant’s info. :

school name(location), Degree, Major,  How long stay in korea with each visa type.

your income(by contract and last year). what kind your job and position,,,and company name….ETC.

* Consultation terms are explained on inquiry.

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Thank you.